🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Tips on how to make the most of my maternity leave!
in Baby
Hi all
I can't tell you how excited I am about our baby - we're coming up to 3 months left until his / her due date which means 2 months left at work!
I am determined to make the most of every single minute of my maternity leave and this special time with baby Angus when he / she arrives.
Give me some tips to help me do this!
Do NOT let me while away my days on the sofa, in front of the TV!!! (but ok, let me when baby first gets here!!!)
What things did you do with your baby that perhaps you thought would be too restrictive for feeding etc. but managed it?
I hope to breastfeed! Sadly the area I live in isn't very nice, so I need to avoid walking around my local town and go to different places in my car.
Joo xxx
26+6
I can't tell you how excited I am about our baby - we're coming up to 3 months left until his / her due date which means 2 months left at work!
I am determined to make the most of every single minute of my maternity leave and this special time with baby Angus when he / she arrives.
Give me some tips to help me do this!
Do NOT let me while away my days on the sofa, in front of the TV!!! (but ok, let me when baby first gets here!!!)
What things did you do with your baby that perhaps you thought would be too restrictive for feeding etc. but managed it?
I hope to breastfeed! Sadly the area I live in isn't very nice, so I need to avoid walking around my local town and go to different places in my car.
Joo xxx
26+6
0
Replies
I was thinking the same thing! I think we start on the same day too? (Last day at work being 3rd April?)
I am planning on doing lots of resting (of course!) cleaning and baking before baby arrives if I get the chance! Must be the only person I know that actually wants baby to wait until due date to arrive! So sods law little bean will be early!
After baby is here I'm not sure... all postnatal groups etc in my area have been stopped and I am not joining the NCT so unless I meet some people at the 2 NHS antenatal classes I guess its just a case of going along to groups and swimming etc. I do have my best mate who is due 5days after me so once we are both driving again will be meeting up with her once a week or so I hope.
I think I might be quite close to you also (I'm in Surrey) so maybe we could also meet up with Angus and my bean?!
I have kept in touch with the people I work with as we are all close friends. But the downside of that is they phone me to ask questions about issues at work, and what they should do. My manager is shit at support and advice.LOL.
For the first couple of weeks I suggest you screen all of your phone calls so you are not distracted and can learn about your new little family, cus things will be very different. Only speak to those that you need to - and phone them back when it is a good time for you.
We were out visiting people, or having visitors. A bit different for us as we were spending the first month at my moms. OHs family came to my moms and it was the first time they all met LOL. Managed to keep em all appart for nearly 5 years LOL.
We found that we were out shopping some as well for things that we thought we needed, but eventually didnt.
When LO was older we spent (and still spend)alot of time at our local sure start centre. Weekly playgroups, baby massage, baby signing, and baby bop courses later I couldnt recomend it more.
In the first few weeks you will find you will be surgiccally attached to a phone or camers for all those newborn pics. We have found that we have loads of pics of everyday things, but none of his first holiday, and only a handfull from xmas and new year. Dont know how that happenedLOL.
Enjoy your first few weeks and remember once LO is in a routine, feed before you go out and just take what you need for next couple of feeds (some nappies and a change of clothes and you can still spend most of the day out.
Most of all just enjoy your time together, the end of mat leave comes round way too quickly.
Beckie n Zacky (31 weeks)
I know the area we live in is pretty naff for baby things to do, but here's some of the stuff i've done...
Check out http://www.parkchildrenscentre.co.uk for courses and baby groups, they are really good but so busy so might be worth looking into any courses you want to do sooner rather than later!
I go for walks around town or near where i live. At first i was really restricted because i didn't want to feed anywhere in public, but once i had to do it in Tescos (!!!) and since then i've never looked back lol
We go to Jolly babies music group in Ash once a week, and i'm just about to start Water babies swimming lessons. I'm thinking about going to Pushy Mothers in Frimley but i want someone to go with (need to get in shape!!).
I've made a couple of friends from Ante natal classes and we get together every other week at each others houses for tea and a natter, and can quite easily kill an afternoon this way!
Most importantly, make sure those first couple of weeks are spent on the sofa eating, drinking and feeding Angus as much as possible - this is SO vital if you want to be successful at BF'ing, and it's lovely to bond and have lots of cuddles. Don't head out into the big wide world until YOU are ready.
Don't forget i'm pretty near you if you ever want a chat and a cuppa or some help with feeding stuff xx
I totally agree with Jamdonut that you should spend the early weeks cuddling on the sofa with your Lo so you get to know each other properly before regularly going out and about.
Gabriel (my lo) is 8.5 months now. We sometimes go on the bus to town, go window shopping or actual shopping lol, and have something to eat in a cafe.
We go for a trip to the local boots and sainsburys once a week to stock up on baby supplies...more fun then it sounds! We go for walks to the park and I push Gabe on the swings.
On thursdays I go to a baby group which I love, has lots of fab toys and Gabe gets to interact with other babies. I have made a few friends there too. Afterwards I sometimes walk to the clinic and get him weighed.
On friday we go to a soft play area that is free for under 1s, I go with my friend and her lo (Gabe's 2nd cousin...his great uncle's son if that makes sense!) who is 14 months but we say hes 11 months lol!!! Its more fun for him then for Gabe but its great getting out.
Hope this helps. xxx
- Browse the shops then have coffee and a cake in a cafe (followed by a change and feed in Mothercare, usually - brilliant feeding facilities).
- Feeding the ducks with Lily strapped to me
- Walking to the shop to get beer for Daddy
- Going to mother & toddler groups/ bring-your-baby exercise classes (I've worked out that there's something I can go to locally 4 days a week, sometimes 5, which is good to know in case I ever have one of those days where I just HAVE to get out the house and speak to other adults)
Can't wait until she's just a bit bigger & we can go swimming, to the park, etc.